Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega
Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, receiving recognition for her role as young Jane in The CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin (2014–2019). From 2016 to 2018, she had a leading role as Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle, for which she won an Imagen Award. She played Ellie Alves in the second season of the thriller series You in 2019 and starred in the family film Yes Day (2021), both for Netflix.
Ortega received critical praise for her performance in the teen drama film The Fallout (2021). She went on to star in the slasher films Scream and X (both 2022), and Scream VI (2023), which established her as a scream queen. In 2022, she began starring as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix horror comedy series Wednesday, for which she received nominations at the Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Early life
Jenna Marie Ortega was born on September 27, 2002, in Palm Desert, California, United States, the fourth of six children. Her father, a former sheriff who works at the California district attorney's office, is of Mexican descent; and her mother, an emergency room nurse, is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. Ortega's maternal great-grandmother was an illegal immigrant from Sinaloa, Mexico, and her maternal grandfather was from Puerto Rico. Ortega grew up in La Quinta, California. She wanted to act from the age of six; for three years, she begged her mother to let her pursue a career. Her mother attempted to distract her with activities such as soccer and school. Ortega almost quit pursuing acting to participate in the former. Her mother later bought her a monologue book and posted a video of a nine-year-old Ortega performing one. A casting director noticed the video and signed Ortega to an agency.
Ortega's mother began driving her to Los Angeles up to five days a week to attend auditions—a trip that sometimes took six hours. Ortega recalled feeling guilty about pursuing a career: "well if this doesn't work out, I'm screwed ... I just put my entire family through this because that's a lot of money and time that we did not have." She struggled to secure parts as few roles existed for Latinas and she did not have "the look" sought by casting directors. Ortega stated rejections motivated her to change their viewpoint and "get rid of that description". She limited her auditions to commercials for her first year as she had no connections in the filmmaking industry; she secured parts in 12 national campaigns, including three McDonald's commercials. During the week, Ortega acted in Los Angeles for a few days and returned home to attend school. She enrolled in public school, attending Amelia Earhart Elementary School and John Glenn Middle School. She dropped out during eighth grade to act in Disney projects and got an apartment in Los Angeles after landing her role in Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018). During this time, Ortega worked in Los Angeles throughout the week and went home on the weekends.
Career
2012–2017: Early acting roles and Disney
Ortega made her acting debut in the sitcom Rob (2012). She subsequently made an appearance in the CSI: NY episode "Unspoken" as an accidental shooting victim. In 2013, she made her film debut with a minor role in the superhero film Iron Man 3 as the vice president's daughter. That same year, Ortega appeared in the horror film Insidious: Chapter 2 as part of the supporting cast. Both were successful at the box office, with the former ranking among the highest-grossing films of all time.
From 2014 to 2019, Ortega recurred on The CW comedy television series Jane the Virgin as a younger version of Jane Villanueva, who is portrayed by Gina Rodriguez as an adult. Ortega said her audition was not "anything overwhelmingly special" and attributed her casting to her resemblance to Rodriguez. Declan Gallagher of Entertainment Weekly commended Ortega's performance: "she eschews the trappings of a typical child actor. She's knowing without being cute, her delivery natural and, at times, tossed off in a way that veteran performers struggle to master." She also starred in the direct-to-video comedy film The Little Rascals Save the Day (2014) and the Netflix series Richie Rich (2015). Ortega appeared in the film After Words (2015) as Anna Chapa. The Los Angeles Times praised her as "adorable", whereas The Arizona Republic found her "horribly cloying".
From 2016 to 2018, Ortega led the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle as Harley Diaz, an aspiring inventor who is the middle child of the seven siblings. She said booking the role was "one of the best days of my life". Ortega drew inspiration from her own family and relationships with her siblings; she felt her experience starring on the show was akin to reality television. Common Sense Media praised her performance, asserting that she "commands this role, pleading her case as a long-suffering middle kid while finding the humor in the many calamities that befall her efforts to shine". Ortega garnered three Imagen Award nominations for Best Young Actor – Television, including a win in 2018. She also voiced Princess Isabel in Elena and the Secret of Avalor (2016) and Elena of Avalor (2016–2020).
2018–2021: Transition to mature roles
In 2018, Ortega starred in the film Saving Flora as the lead role of Dawn, the daughter of a circus owner. She aimed to act in more mature projects following the conclusion of Stuck in the Middle, but found that "[p]eople automatically make the assumption that [Disney roles are] all you can do, or all you were meant for". She considered quitting acting several times, stating she "was too old for the young roles and too young for the older roles". In 2018, Ortega was cast as Ellie Alves on the second season of the Netflix thriller series You, which was released on December 26, 2019. The season, alike to the first season, received positive reviews, with The Hollywood Reporter Robyn Bahr noting Ortega as "a standout performer". Retrospectively, Ortega said that the show was "easily one of my favorite sets that I've ever, ever been on" and appreciated that she was given creative freedom. She was slated to return for the third and fourth seasons but was unable to due to scheduling conflicts.
Ortega played Phoebe in the Netflix horror film The Babysitter: Killer Queen, which was released in September 2020 to negative critical reviews. Ortega also voiced Brooklynn in the Netflix animated series Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (2020–2022). In 2021, she made her writing debut with the book It's All Love. Ortega subsequently starred in the Netflix comedy movie Yes Day (2021), portraying a stubborn teenager who wants more independence from her parents. She appreciated that the film's representation of people of color since it was shown in "a casual setting where it's acknowledged" in lieu of "shoving it down your throat"; she stated it "could be a really good thing for young people of color to see". Yes Day was released in March 2021 to mixed reviews. IndieWire lauded Ortega as "very capable", and the Associated Press referred to her as "an impressively poised young actor".
Ortega led the high-school drama film The Fallout as a student navigating her emotional trauma following a school shooting. To prepare, she looked a photos, and watched videos and interviews about school shootings; processing such events afterwards "kind of came naturally". She also tried to participate in the March for Our Lives movement, which led demonstrations in support of gun control legislation. Ortega, who describes herself as "such an insecure individual", found portraying her character's relatability to be easy. The Fallout premiered at South by Southwest on March 17, 2021, and was released on HBO Max on January 27, 2022. It received a positive response from critics, and Ortega's acting was lauded. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times described her performance as "grounded and deeply moving", while The Hollywood Reporter wrote that her "beautifully nuanced turn understands the nothing-to-look-at-here façade and the chinks in the armor".
2022–present: Mainstream success and Wednesday
In the slasher film Scream (2022)—the fifth film in the Scream franchise—Ortega played Tara Carpenter, on which she stated: "I don't even think there are words in the English language to correctly express how happy, excited and nervous I am for this journey." Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett cast her because of her ability to play both horror and comic tones, as well as the sound of her scream. Ortega felt nervous joining a well-known franchise; she wanted to "do it justice" while "not ripping anybody off". She said her experience working on the film helped her understand how crucial chemistry between the cast was to the production process's natural flow. The film emerged as a critical and commercial success, becoming the 28th-highest-grossing film of 2022. According to The A.V. Club, Ortega demonstrated "incredible" resilience and resolve in her role. She also won the MTV Movie Award for Most Frightened Performance. Ortega later appeared in the Foo Fighters-led horror film Studio 666 (2022). Reviewers thought that she was underused, with the Los Angeles Times commenting that "[n]ot even ... [Ortega] can offer true horror bona fides to this flick".
Ortega starred in the slasher film X (2022), directed and written by Ti West, who said she was "fearless in her commitment". Ortega cited its script, which was "the most outrageous thing I've ever read", and the opportunity to work with West as reasons for signing onto the project. She found the filming process enjoyable and unique: "You already knew what your intention was going into the scene, how Ti wanted it and you also knew that you wouldn't move on from a shot until Ti was certain that he got what he needed". X became Ortega's best-reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes, and Comic Book Resources wrote that she had given her best performance of the year. The comedy horror American Carnage was her final film release of 2022. IGN lauded her "no-shits-given shell", while The A.V. Club said that Ortega "continu[es] her streak as the new it-girl of horror with a stubborn punk persona that masks her care for other people".
In May 2021, Ortega was cast as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix comedy horror series Wednesday (2022), which she called a "new chapter" in her career. The creative team sought a Latina to play the role to align with Gomez Addams's heritage. According to casting director John Papsidera: "When you start to talk about a young Latina actress, [Ortega] rises to the top of the heap." The casting team felt Ortega gave the character the empathy they were seeking, and director Tim Burton said he could not picture another actress portraying Wednesday. She rejected the role several times, as she wanted to focus on film acting and feared that working on another television series would prevent her from booking the roles she wanted. Ortega reconsidered after learning of Burton's involvement. To prepare, she underwent "the most physical transformation I've ever done; I cut my hair, and it's black, and mannerism-wise, speaking cadence-wise, expression-wise". Ortega also learned to play the cello and speak German, read the original Addams Family comic, and watched the 1960s television adaptation.
Ortega called production of Wednesday first season "the most overwhelming job" she had ever had, and spoke about being in a constant state of confusion and stress over the direction of the series and character. Ortega said she never "had to put my foot down on a set in the way that I had to on Wednesday" since she thought her character's actions and dialogue did not suit her personality. While filming certain scenes, she would change lines without informing the crew. Upon Wednesday release, Ortega's performance was widely praised by critics, with The Wall Street Journal calling her "a charismatic performer playing a character who is decidedly anti-charisma, [which is] an accomplishment; she has a face that triumphs over deadpan." Ortega received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has also been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, becoming the category's second-youngest nominee. She later revealed her discomfort with becoming well known for her work on the show, having had a creatively unpleasant experience filming it.
Ortega reprised her role as Tara Carpenter in Scream VI. She said her character had more personality in this film, unlike the previous installment in which she "was screaming and crying the entire time". When creating Tara's personality, Ortega considered several of the character's traits, including her favorite color, fashion style, makeup, and sense of humor. Released in March 2023, Scream VI grossed over $169 million on a budget of $33–35 million. Deadline Hollywood partially attributed its box office success to Ortega's star power. In a review, Variety Owen Gleiberman praised her "surly spunk"; Slant Magazine thought that she "fantastically embodie[d] the role". Ortega also hosted an episode of the NBC's sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live.
While filming Wednesday, Ortega auditioned for the role of Mabel, a drug dealer's daughter who is seeking to her own path in life, in the crime thriller film Finestkind (2023). Producer Gary Foster was impressed with her previous work, especially The Fallout, and her role in Wednesday helped him convince the production companies to cast her. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to negative reviews. Many journalists labeled her a miscast; film critic Ty Burr wrote that she "doesn't yet have the emotional miles or acting skills to play a convincing New Bedford part-time heroin dealer".
Upcoming projects
Ortega has joined the cast of Lionsgate and Point Grey's Miller's Girl, opposite Martin Freeman. She called her character in Miller's Girl "the most complex character that I've ever played" and described the material as risky. She is set to star and executive produce the romantic drama Winter Spring Summer or Fall. Ortega is also slated to appear in and executive produce an untitled Trey Edward Shults film, with The Weeknd and Barry Keoghan costarring. She will star in Burton's fantasy film Beetlejuice 2, a sequel to Beetlejuice (1988). Ortega has also joined the cast of Alba, to be produced and distributed by A24, and Death of a Unicorn, a dark comedy costarring Paul Rudd.
Ortega is set to reprise her role as Wednesday in the second season of Wednesday. She also became an executive producer, which she described as a "natural progression" since the first season was "naturally already very collaborative". To prepare for the second season, the team "wanted to get ahead of the curve and make sure that we could start the conversations earlier". Ortega helped oversee the costumes, characters, and scripts.
Other ventures
Ortega has used her platforms to promote support for immigrants and the LGBT community. Ortega supports Pride Over Prejudice, a campaign by DoSomething that advocates for immigrant and refugees. She is pro-immigration and anti-discrimination, and told Teen Vogue: "It's important to embrace your culture today because there are so many different ethnicities in America. At the end of the day, you are you. You've got to stay true to yourself, and you can't change yourself in order to fit in or to make someone else feel comfortable." Ortega is also an advocate for women's rights.
In 2016, Ortega organized a meet and greet for fans to raise money for a young girl with cancer. In 2018, at the Radio Disney Music Awards, Ortega wore a jacket displaying the words "I Do Care And U Should Too" in response to first lady Melania Trump's apparel when she went to visit immigrant children who were being housed without their parents, which read "I Really Don't Care. Do U?". The stand gained significant media coverage. Of the action, Ortega told the Associated Press that Trump's apparel displayed "poor judgement" and "as first lady of the United States, she should [care about migrant children]". She later explained: "We should all care about each other and our country. ... We are one country under God." In 2019, Ortega appeared at numerous WE Day concerts across the U.S. and Canada to benefit WE Charity.
In 2020, Ortega was named a brand ambassador for Neutrogena and was the face of its "My Quinceañera Journey" campaign. In 2023, she became an ambassador for Adidas and Dior. She was the face of the former's Adidas Sportswear, its first new line in 50 years, and one of the faces of the latter's #DareInGrisDior campaign.
Artistry and media image
Commenting on her off-screen persona, Who What Wear wrote in 2022 that Ortega is "poised, mature, and wise beyond her years" while providing "an essence of relatability". A 2023 Elle cover story described her as "naturally introverted". Megan Park, who directed Ortega in The Fallout, stated she has the knowledge of "when to give her all and when to hold back", explaining that "to have that understanding of herself as a performer at such a young age" is extremely rare. Burton compared her acting style to silent film acting, saying that she expresses emotion through her eyes and without words. In 2018, The Hollywood Reporter listed Ortega as one of "Hollywood's Top 30 Stars Under Age 18". The magazine dubbed her the "Next Big Thing" in 2022. Media publications have referred to Ortega as "Gen Z's scream queen". In 2023, MovieWeb ranked her among the best scream queens of all time.
Ortega has been cited as a style icon. Ortega's initial red carpet style featured bright colors, patterned clothing, and many accessories. Her stylist, Enrique Melendez, dressed her in Red Valentino and Thom Browne, wanting her wardrobe to be age-appropriate, fashionable, and stylistically interesting. They later later tried to move away from the "feminine and flirty and frilly" style of other Disney actresses. Following her role in You, Ortega began wearing heavier makeup and darker clothing. Media publications observed that her later style borrowed from that of Wednesday while incorporating high fashion, and described it as goth glam. According to Vogue, her off-screen style has a "dark, gothic fashion sensibility". Ortega explained that playing Wednesday has "changed my taste a lot" and she has "a hard time getting her off of me, at least clothing-wise".
Ortega is active on the social networking service Instagram. She has described social media as "a comparing game" and "very manipulative". Ortega stated she became fearful that her comments on social media could be misinterpreted following the release of Wednesday: "Because I naturally tend to be sarcastic or dry, it's very easy for me to find myself in trouble. ... [People] see your vulnerability and twist it in a way that you don't always expect."
Influences
Ortega was initially inspired to pursue acting after watching Dakota Fanning in the 2004 thriller film Man on Fire. Unable to understand "how someone so young could do something that would scare me so aggressively", Ortega analyzed the film several times and decided she wanted to be "the Puerto Rican version of her". She also admired Fanning's sister, Elle, and followed both of their careers as a child. As she matured, Ortega aspired to be "the female version" of Denzel Washington, who appeared alongside Fanning in Man on Fire. She also looks up to Rodriguez, and fellow Disney stars Selena Gomez and Zendaya. Ortega said she admires Rodriguez as they are both Latina actresses who struggled to break into the acting industry due to their lack of connections. In 2021, Ortega cited Riz Ahmed as a career role model, and praised his manner of speaking and activism, as well as his acting.
Role choices
Ortega has said that she feels taking more varied roles in acting is important to her, so as to not be typecast; she told Entertainment Tonight in 2021 that she did not want to be "pigeonholed as an actor", and that her desire to "do the most diverse roles that I possibly can and really switch up" made the transition to mature roles easier for her. She has said that horror works are what she feels most comfortable starring in, describing such projects as "very therapeutic": "You're screaming bloody murder ... so it's a way to excavate all the unnecessary, pent-up stress." In 2023, Ortega stated she is mindful of not "over-indexing on the gore scale" and feels "very conflicted" about her interests as there is "a part of me that always feels like the girl in the Coachella Valley".
Personal life
Ortega said she feels a sense of safety from her friends and family that help her deal with the more challenging parts of her career; she added that her family "keep my feet on the ground". Ortega believes that growing up in an industry dominated by adults accelerated her maturing process. Ortega stated she was vegan "for a really long time". She became pescatarian while filming Wednesday in Romania. In 2023, Ortega commented that she found the idea of romantic relationships stressful, possibly due to being preoccupied with her career; she remarked that thinking about "being that vulnerable with someone and having to get to know someone that well and having someone see you for all that you are" is not something she needs.
Filmography
Film
Television
Music videos
"Chapstick" (2017), by Jacob Sartorius
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
2002 births
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from California
American actresses of Mexican descent
American actresses of Puerto Rican descent
American child activists
American child actresses
American film actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Hispanic and Latino American actresses
American LGBT rights activists
Living people
People from Palm Desert, California